It exists in various parts of the body, such as our digestive system. The key component to break down all of these macromolecules quickly and efficiently is water and the appropriate enzymes.Įpithelial Tissue: Epithelial tissue, also known as the epithelium, is one of the four tissues found in the human body. Our fat cells, called adipocytes, store fat in the form of triglycerides. Fatty acids are the major form of fat that is ingested into our body. Before triglycerides are ingest into our cells, they must be broken down by using special types of enzymes that break down these fats into fatty acids and glycerol. The majority of the fat that we ingest into our body in food are triglycerides. For instance, fatty acids in our blood are carried by a protein carrier called albumin. Since lipids are not water soluble, they cannot dissolve in our blood and must be carried by special protein carriers. Each of these types serves its own purpose. They can come in many different forms such as steroids, fatty acids, phospholipids, triglycerides, etc. Lipids are not water-soluble and are not polymers. The final type of macromolecule that we ingest into our bodies are lipids, also known as fats. Ten of these amino acids are called essential amino acids because they cannot be manufactured by our body and must be obtained from our food. Our body uses twenty different amino acids, all of which are alpha-amino acids. In some cases, cells can also absorb dipeptides and tripeptides. In order for our cells to actually absorb proteins, our body must first denature the proteins and then break them down into their amino acid form. Proteins have several stages of structure including primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary. For this reason, proteins are also called polypeptides. Proteins are water-soluble polymers that consist of individual units called amino acids held together by peptide bonds. Proteins are yet another example of a macromolecule that is commonly ingested via food. However, certain cells such as intestinal and kidney cells are capable of using active transport, which means that they move the glucose against its electrochemical gradient and they use ATP molecules. The majority of the cells of our body transport glucose across the cell membrane via passive transport, which means down its electrochemical gradient and without using any energy.
The most common type of sugar monomer in the human body is glucose and most of the non-glucose sugars in our body are transformed into glucose in our liver and intestinal cells. The body does this by using special proteolytic enzymes that catalyzes the hydrolysis of carbohydrates. In order to actual absorb these sugars into our cells, our body must digest (break down) these polysaccharides into their individual mononeric sugars. Our body only contains enzymes to break alpha-glycosidic linkages. Carbohydrates, also known as polysaccharides or sugars, are water-soluble polymers that consist of individual monomer units held together by glycosidic bonds. These macromolecules are carbohydrates, proteins and lipids. Types of Macromolecules: When we ingest food, we ingest several types of organic macromolecules that we use for nutrition and energy. T hese lectures vary in length, and will open in a new window when you click on the provided link.
Blood circulation of hydrophobic amino acids series#
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